But the second porter, having broken the chair, upset a table
covered with unused saucers for beer glasses, and otherwise materially
contributing to swell the din and increase the already considerable havoc,
had regained his feet and lost no time in making for Dumnoff. The Russian,
enchanted at the prospect of a renewal of hostilities so unfortunately
interrupted, met the newcomer half-way, and, each embracing the other with
cheerful alacrity, the two heavy men began to stamp and turn round and
round with each other like a couple of particularly awkward bears
attempting to waltz together. They were very evenly matched for a
wrestling bout, for although the German was by a couple of inches the
taller of the two, the Russian had the advantage in breadth of shoulder
and length of arm, as well as in the enormous strength of his back. The
Cossack, having assured himself that there was to be fair-play, watched
the proceedings with evident interest, while the pale-faced host shambled
round and round the room, imploring the combatants to respect the
reputation of his house and to desist, while keeping himself at a safe
distance from possible collision with the bodies of the two, as they
staggered and strained, and reeled and whirled about.
The Count at last abandoned the search of the lost pin, and having pulled
the front of his collar into a more normal position trusted to luck to
keep it there. The table at which the three had originally sat had
miraculously escaped upsetting, and on it lay the poor Gigerl, stretched
at full length on its back, calm and smiling in the midst of the noise and
confusion, like the corpse at an Irish wake after the whisky has begun to
take effect.
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